As we have just happily witnessed, the world is fixed on the papacy–thanks in part to Pope Francis! I am happy to announce that today, Our Sunday Visitor, made my new book on the three most recent popes available for free download. A short excerpt:

… I would like to look at our three most recent popes, who have been particularly compelling agents of Christ. These three popes have been genuine gifts to the Church in bringing Jesus to the world. This is hardly to suggest that there were not other popes throughout history who serve…

Today’s announcement that our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has approved the cause for canonization of two of his beloved predecessors, Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II, is an occasion of great joy for the entire Church!

These two great Popes each had a profound impact on the Church and the world. In beginning the Second Vatican Council, Pope John XXIII helped present the timeless teaching of Jesus and His Church in the modern age. And, Pope John Paul II helped to bring that teaching to every corner of the globe, as a tireless missionary for the faith.

You probably know that I did my graduate studies in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States.

You may also know that a sad fact of that history is that the Catholic community in the USA, from the start, has had to counter a deep and pervasive bigotry.

As Richard Schlesinger commented, “Hatred of the Catholic Church is the oldest bias in the American psyche.”

Yet, certain events in our history have softened that prejudice. Guess what — according to Monsignor John Tracy Ellis, my old professor, himself one of our most acclaimed historians — was one of those…

The headline was so familiar: Yet another group was “challenging the Vatican” on something, this time, on upholding the timeless teaching of the Church that only men are called to the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

One can’t really find too much fault with the content of the article, namely that some small groups in North America, Austria, and Australia, the usual lineup, are protesting this particular teaching of the Church.

What one does find frustrating is the tenor of the headline and the article that “the Vatican” has these bizarre, outmoded, oppressive “policies” that need to be “revised” so that such…

Taoiseach Enda Kenny recently released a statement to the Dail regarding the Vatican’s 1997 letter to the Irish bishops on sex abuse. David Quinn, a columnist for the Irish Independent, responded to Taoiseach Kenny’s statement and other attacks on the Vatican.

Here is an excerpt from Quinn’s column:

In the sort of language normally associated with a Richard Dawkins or Ian Paisley, he accused the Vatican of “dysfunction, disconnection, elitism . . . narcissism” and effectively of not caring about the “rape and torture of children”.

Among other things, Kenny’s speechwriters included a wildly out-of-context quote from…

I’m spending this week at the Vatican for the first-ever meeting of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization. I’m honored that the Holy Father has appointed me to this new and vital Council, responsible for helping to promote the faith. The Holy Father met with us on Monday, and our meetings with Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the President of the Council, and cardinals and bishops from around the world have been enlightening and inspiring. This is an area of tremendous emphasis for the Church, and it is reflected in the enthusiasm and commitment of everyone in these meetings.